From Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen and illustrator Minnie Phan comes an unforgettable story of a Vietnamese American girl whose life is transformed by a wildfire.
Viet Thanh Nguyen Book order
Viet Thanh Nguyen is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist whose work delves into the complexities of identity, memory, and war through compelling narratives. His prose offers profound insights into the refugee and immigrant experience, exploring themes of politics, race, and postcolonial conflict. Nguyen's distinctive literary style is characterized by its sharp irony, biting satire, and deep psychological characterizations that challenge readers with intricate moral dilemmas. Through his writing, he seeks to give voice to the marginalized and provide a critical lens on American history and geopolitics.







- 2024
- 2023
The highly original, blistering, and unconventional memoir by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sympathizer, a novel which sold over one million copies worldwide and is soon to be a HBO series starring Sandra Oh and Robert Downey Jr.
- 2021
"Follows the "man of two minds" as he comes to Paris as a refugee. There he and his blood brother Bon try to escape their pasts and prepare for their futures by turning their hands to capitalism in one of its purest forms: drug dealing. No longer in physical danger, but still inwardly tortured by his re-education at the hands of his former best friend, and struggling to assimilate into a dominant culture, the Sympathizer is both charmed and disturbed by Paris. As he falls in with a group of left-wing intellectuals and politicians who frequent dinner parties given by his French Vietnamese "aunt," he finds not just stimulation for his mind but also customers for his merchandise-but the new life he is making has dangers he has not foreseen. Both literary thriller and brilliant novel of ideas, The Committed is a blistering portrayal of commitment and betrayal."--
- 2020
Fight of the Century
- 336 pages
- 12 hours of reading
The ACLU partners with award-winning authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman in this collection by many great writers, each contributing an original piece inspired by a historic ACLU case.
- 2019
A band of intrepid chickens leave behind the boredom of farm life, joining the crew of the pirate ship Pitiless to seek fortune and glory on the high seas. Led by a grizzled captain into the territory of the Dog Knights, they soon learn what it means to be courageous, merciful, and not seasick quite so much of the time. A whimsical and unexpected adventure tale, Chicken of the Sea originated in the five-year-old mind of Ellison Nguyen, son of Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen; father and son committed the story to the page, then enlisted the artistic talents of Caldecott Honor winner Thi Bui and her thirteen-year-old son, Hien Bui-Stafford, to illustrate it. This unique collaboration between two generations of artists and storytellers invites you aboard for adventure, even if you're chicken. Maybe especially if you're chicken.
- 2019
The Displaced
- 192 pages
- 7 hours of reading
Viet Thanh Nguyen, himself a refugee, brings together a host of prominent refugee writers from around the world to explore and illuminate their experiences. Poignant and insightful, this collection of essays reveals moments of uncertainty, resilience in the face of trauma, and a reimagining of identity
- 2018
- 2017
The Refugees
- 224 pages
- 8 hours of reading
In The Refugees, Viet Thanh Nguyen gives voice to lives led between two worlds, the adopted homeland and the country of birth. From a young Vietnamese refugee who suffers profound culture shock when he comes to live with two gay men in San Francisco, to a woman whose husband is suffering from dementia and starts to confuse her for a former lover, to a girl living in Ho Chi Minh City whose older half-sister comes back from America having seemingly accomplished everything she never will, the stories are a captivating testament to the dreams and hardships of immigration. The second piece of fiction by a major new voice, The Refugees is a beautifully written and sharply observed book about the aspirations of those who leave one country for another, and the relationships and desires for self-fulfillment that define our lives.
- 2017
Flashpoints for Asian American Studies
- 328 pages
- 12 hours of reading
The book features an insightful afterword by Viet Thanh Nguyen, who offers a unique perspective on the themes and narratives presented in the text. It delves into the complexities of identity, culture, and the immigrant experience, drawing on Nguyen's own background and literary expertise. The afterword enriches the reader's understanding by connecting the historical context with contemporary issues, making it a thought-provoking addition to the overall work.
- 2016
Nothing Ever Dies
- 384 pages
- 14 hours of reading
Finalist, National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist, National Book Award in Nonfiction A New York Times Book Review “The Year in Reading” Selection All wars are fought twice, the first time on the battlefield, the second time in memory. From the author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Sympathizer comes a searching exploration of the conflict Americans call the Vietnam War and Vietnamese call the American War—a conflict that lives on in the collective memory of both nations. “[A] gorgeous, multifaceted examination of the war Americans call the Vietnam War—and which Vietnamese call the American War...As a writer, [Nguyen] brings every conceivable gift—wisdom, wit, compassion, curiosity—to the impossible yet crucial work of arriving at what he calls ‘a just memory’ of this war.” —Kate Tuttle, Los Angeles Times “In Nothing Ever Dies, his unusually thoughtful consideration of war, self-deception and forgiveness, Viet Thanh Nguyen penetrates deeply into memories of the Vietnamese war...[An] important book, which hits hard at self-serving myths.” —Jonathan Mirsky, Literary Review “Ultimately, Nguyen’s lucid, arresting, and richly sourced inquiry, in the mode of Susan Sontag and W. G. Sebald, is a call for true and just stories of war and its perpetual legacy.” —Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred review)